Method of and apparatus for making strip shingles



Dec. 8, 1931.

L. KIRSCHBR AUN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING STRIP SHINGLES Filed Sept. 9, 1926 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LESTER KIBSCHBRAUN, OF LEONIA, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS CORPORATION, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING STRIP SHINGLES Application filed September 9, 1926. Serial No. 134,413.

This invention relates to a method of and ments, more particularly the type of element commonly known as a strip shingle. Roofing elements of this general class are customarily made with a fibrous base or foundation of sheet material composed of rag or asbestos fibers or the like, which has been formed on a paper-making machine. The fibrous foundation is saturated with a suitable waterproofing material such as low melting-point asphalt after which it is coated on one or both faces with a waterproofing layer of high melting-point or blown asphalt which y reason of its relatively high melting point and tough and rubbery consistency is particularly suited for this purpose. The waterproof coating layer is thereupon surfaced with a protective masking layer of comminuted or granular material in order to protect the asphalt layer from the deterio rating action of the weather, particularly the suns rays. The granular material which may consist of crushed slate, brick, tile, ground cork, sawdust, or other equivalent material, may be applied to both surfaces or to the Weather side only of the strip shingle. In the latter case, if there be a coating on the under side, such coating is usually dusted with talc, powdered mica or equivalent material, to make the surface'non-sticky. From a sheet thus prepared, strip shingles of suitable size and shapeare cut and such strip shingles have been sold as a finished product ready for use. It. has been found advantageous, however, to protect the cut edges of such roofing elements which are exposed to the weather, since such edges, if not protected, make it possible for atmospheric moisture to soak into or dry out of the fibrous base of the shingle through the cut ends of the fibers which appear at such edges. These changes of moisture content, together with loss of volatile constituents of the saturant, tend to cause the shingle to sponge or bulk and the corners to warp and curl, causing rapid deterioration of the roofing elements. The life of the shingle may be greatly prolonged therefore by sealin the cut edges which are to be exposed tot e weather with suitable coating material, this material being preferably surfaced with grit or the like to protect it from the light.

I am aware that broadly speaking it is not new to make strip shingles with exposed edges, sealed, but I have devised a novel method for producing such an article, and apparatus for carrying out the steps in the method. This will be more clearly understood from the disclosure on the drawings, of which Figure 1 is a conventional showing of apparatus for operating on a roll of raw roofing felt to make the same into finished strip shingles.

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary plan views of a sheet of, roofing felt showing two examples of strip shingles which may be cut from the sheet according to my invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective of a slitting and cutting roll showing knives thereon arranged to cut a sheet as shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 represents a roll of raw roofing felt from which the sheet may be led into a suitable tank 11 in which it is impregnated with a waterproofing saturant 12 of any desired material sllch'as molten asphalt, the excess saturant being removed from the sheet as by press rolls 13 after which the sheet may be partially cooled and dried as by looping rollers 14. If desired, pre-saturated roofing felt may be supplied, in which case the saturating and cooling steps, herein described, may be omitted. The saturated sheet is then slit and cut'by a suitable roll 15 on the periphery of which are mounted knives 16 designed to make series of cuts in the sheet, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. It is to be understood that the arrangements of the cuts illustrated herein are by way of example only and that the knives 16 may be therein to keep the strips relatively positioned and tomake the sheet as a whole easier to handle in the subsequent steps of manufacture. The cuts made by the knives time if desired by a roll 21, which is adapted to be supplied with coating material from a feed roll 22 or may be arranged to pick upv the coating directly from a container 23.

The coating material commonly employed is blown asphalt or its equivalent which is applied in a hot molten condition. 4 While the asphalt is still sticky and hot, the surface thereof may be covered with grit as by a suitable hopper 24 adapted to shower the grit on the upper surface of the. sheet. The sheet may then be passed around a roll 25 to press the grit into firm engagement with the coating so as to embed some of it partially in the asphalt and cause it to adhere firmly thereto. The under face of the sheet may also be coated with grit or may be .dusted 2. Apparatus for making roofing elements, which comprises means for cutting a sheet of roofing felt of indeterminate length into longitudinally extending strips interconnected at intervals by bonds of uncut felt, means for applying liquid coating material to the faces and cut edges of the interconnected strips, means for applying comminuted material to the coated surfaces, andmeans for severing said bonds and means for cutting the strips into individual roofing units.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN.

with talc or mica as by a suitable supply box 26. The sheet may then be cooled by passing over a succession of rolls 27, after which tab-cutting rolls 28 may be employed to cut out the tongues of material 17 which unite the parallel strips in the sheet. The strips being thus separated from each other may then be out along the lines 29 as bf; a suitable cutting roll 30, the elements t us formed being collected and packaged for shipment.

While the drawings show a longitudinal arrangement of strips in the sheet to be cut by my improved method, it is obvious that the method can readily be applied to transverse cutting, the continuity of the sheet being preserved by the tongues 17 or 18 until the final severing of the strips from the end of the vsheet.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, it should be evident to those sln'lled the art that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

. 1. A method 'ofmaking roofing elements,

which comprises saturating a sheet of roofing 1 

